The present invention pertains generally to methods for laminating structures and more particularly, to methods for laminating structures of pneumatic vehicle tire parts.
Discarded pneumatic vehicle tires form a considerable resource. Patents intended to utilize this resource include U.S. Pat. Nos. 292,020; 1,285,992; 3,607,982; 3,753,821; 3,803,792; 3,819,915; 3,848,853; 3,934,540; 4,030,706; 4,186,913; 4,905,734; and 4,934,426 and German Patent 2,950,699 and United Kingdom Patents 1,368,772 and 2,207,349.
The present invention is directed to methods for fabricating structures laminated of parts of tires. Structures fabricated in accordance with the invention are comprised of a plurality of opposing layers integrated by a bond with the layers comprising parts of tires.
A preferred method embodiment, in accordance with the invention, may be used to fabricate a plank structure having two layers. The parts are cut from the tread portion of pneumatic vehicle tires with the tread pattern substantially removed prior to integration into the structure. The parts are arranged in layers with their sides adjacent thereby using the opposing curvatures of the opposing parts to increase the stiffness of the structure when it is pressed together to remove voids between the parts and bonded together. Vulcanization or a strong adhesive may be used to bond the adjacent layers together.
The structure described above is achieved, in another preferred method embodiment of the present invention, by the integration of a layer whose parts comprise unvulcanized rubber. This layer is sandwiched between the adjacent layers of tire parts. The whole structure is then heated under pressure to remove all voids between the layers and to bond by vulcanization. The dynamic tension caused by the bonding of the opposing built-in tread curvatures creates a new and unexpected rigidity to the plank. The planks fabricated with the above method embodiments may be of any length. The bond may be augmented by fasteners extending through the layers.
Methods in accordance with the invention may be used to fabricate a fence or highway guard rail having a rail, similar to the planks described above, and a plurality of posts. The construction of the posts is similar to the planks with the outer sides of the posts laminated over the outer sides of the rail portion. The lamination between the rail and posts may be augmented by fasteners extending through the layers. Posts of construction similar to those in the guard rail may also be used individually.
In another preferred method embodiment, the tire parts are arranged in adjoining layers in various relationships between parts within a layer and parts of adjoining layers. These relationships include edge abutting relationships, overlapping side abutting relationships, edge offset relationships, edgewise tongue and groove relationships, and longitudinally rotated relationships. Other laminations in accordance with the invention are characterized by the arrangement of unvulcanized rubber parts in interleaved relationships with the tire parts and the use of vulcanization as a bond. Other preferred embodiments utilize an abraded surface to reduce sound reflections therefrom.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. It should be remembered that scrap steel belted radial tires are recognized to be nearly indestructible, as they were manufactured to be. The tire parts referenced above are not just ribbons of fabric impregnated with rubber and reinforced with steel wires. Rather, the components of these highly engineered strips have been carefully assembled and vulcanized with heat and pressure into a circular rubberized tube able to carry thousands of pounds at high speeds, over all kinds of roads, without loosing shape, When a tire is scrapped it still maintains most of this basic built-in strength and shape which is resistant to change. This invention meets that challenge encountered in seeking to transform the tire sections with these curvatures into flat useful structures such as planks, post and panels. This will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.